


Pack Mentality

by jadedace



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Pack Family, Road Trips, Slow Burn, Spy Poe Dameron, Vampire Poe Dameron, Vampires, Werewolf Finn, Werewolf Rey, Werewolves, author sucks at summaries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-01-01 05:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18329348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedace/pseuds/jadedace
Summary: Vampires and werewolves have been known to mankind for centuries. And, for the most part, they have lived in peace. Werewolves and vampires have integrated into every tier of society with few problems. However, vampires have recently been going missing. Among them, two FBI agents--Jess Pava and Snap Wexley. Agent Poe Dameron has been sent to investigate the largest werewolf pack in the United States, the First Order, in relation to these disappearances. He is able to download critical intel onto a flash drive, intel that could point the way back to the missing vampires. It's now a race to get this intel back to DC before the First Order can enact whatever devious plan they have put into motion.Or: a modern-day rewrite of TFA, but with beings Kathleen Kennedy considers to be mythical, such as werewolves and vampires and Gays.





	1. Chapter 1

**** Patience, Poe Dameron thought, was generally one of his strong suits. He was renowned in his coven, as well as within the Bureau, for his ability to put up with monumental amounts of bullshit. It was his patience that had resulted in him becoming so well respected in both communities. If a new member of the coven was having difficulty adjusting to their new life, Poe was the first one the matriarch called. Within the FBI, he was almost always in charge of orienting the new recruits at headquarters. In the field, he excelled at negotiations and diffusing tense situations. He was the top hostage negotiator within the criminal response branch. He was all but _made_ for the assignment at hand. 

But, it turned out, even Poe had his limits for much he was willing to deal with, and he was fast approaching it. 

“All I’m asking, Alpha, is for access to the security tapes and on-duty personnel at the time of the incident,” he repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. Across the large oak desk, a ginger werewolf in an Armani suit studied his fingernails with purposeful disinterest.

“And I am saying that my hands are tied,” Alpha Hux answered in a bored tone that matched his expression. “As I’m sure you’re aware, it is illegal to interrogate an omega without the presence of their alpha, and unfortunately Alpha Phasma is out on business. You’ll have to wait until she returns from Yuma.”

Poe pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to ten. “Are you, or are you not, an alpha?”

Hux didn’t look up from his perfectly manicured nails. “I don’t directly oversee her unit, and my presence is therefore useless in terms of fulfilling the law. Perhaps come back in a week, and I might be able to help you. _Once_ Alpha Phasma returns.”

“I didn’t come all the way from DC to leave empty handed,” Poe said, reclining in his chair while propping his boots on the oak desk. Hux eyed them with distaste. “According to my notes—” Poe flipped through his pocket-sized notebook and handed it to the alpha, “there were two betas within Phasma’s unit, as well. And as far as I’m aware, there aren’t any laws preventing me from questioning them.”

Hux glanced at an open file on his desk. “Ah, yes, Beta Nines and Beta Finn. Unfortunately, Nines is away for training and Finn is also indisposed at the moment—“

“How convenient,” Poe interrupted in a flat voice. Losing the last shred of his patience, the vampire removed his boots from the desk and leaned across its polished surface, until he was nose-to-nose with the obstinate werewolf. “Two agents—two very, very good _vampire_ agents—have disappeared after meeting with you about a connection between your pack and the twenty missing _vampires_ from _your_ pack territory. Strangely enough, they also claimed to have evidence against you before vanishing.”

“You expect me to break not only protocol, but the _law_ , to validate what amounts to nothing but hearsay?” Hux scoffed. “Come back with a warrant or some compelling evidence. Or, better yet, simply wait until the time that we can accommodate your request.”

“I’ve got enough evidence to charge you with obstruction of justice if you keep this up. Just give me the tapes and a chance to talk to Finn, and I’ll be out of your hair. Or you can continue jerking me around, and I’ll see if a night in a holding cell is enough to get you to cooperate.”

Hux glared at Poe, but seemed to realize Poe had him by the collar. With a theatrical sigh, he reached for the handset on his desk and dialed an extension. “Mitaka? Please locate Beta Finn and have him report to my division. There is someone here who would like to speak with him.”

There was a pause. 

“Thank you, Beta,” Hux said at last, and dropped the handset back into its cradle. “It may take Mitaka some time to locate Finn. I will escort you to a room where you may wait.”

“And the tapes?”

Hux pushed back from the desk and rose to his feet. “I’m afraid that, after twenty-four hours, the tapes are recorded over. We have nothing else to give you.”

Poe took in a deep breath through his nose. He had Finn. He had something. “Lead the way, Alpha.”

* * *

Beta Finn was…young. He couldn’t be more than twenty-two years old, and yet his badge said he was second-in-command of his security squad. He was dark skinned, with dark hair cropped close to the scalp, and deep brown eyes that betrayed nothing.

“Beta Finn, would you mind telling me about the events that transpired on the night of the fourteenth?” Poe asked, flipping out his notebook. Finn didn’t break eye contact. 

“It was an uneventful night. Beta Nines and Omega Zero were patrolling the north border, Omega Slip and I were watching the south. We didn’t see anything the whole night.”

“Were you in phase?” Poe asked. Finn tilted his head.

“I don’t see what that offers to the investigation.”

“Just trying to get a picture of this.”

“Yes. I was in phase, and so was Zero. Nines and Slip were not. They had guns.”

Poe glanced at Finn’s personnel file. The ID photos for Finn included a phased wolf of at nearly six feet, with black fur and the same handsome brown eyes. There was a note taped next to the the phased-in picture. 

“It says here you’ve got an unusually strong sense of smell when in phase. Can you smell a cloaked vampire?” 

“Yes.”

Poe blinked, surprised. A vampire’s ability to hide their scent wasn’t perfect, but generally it took a bloodhound before they were detected (Poe remained one of three vampires in the Bureau’s history to have fooled even the bloodhound). A werewolf didn’t usually have such a capability. But, if Jess and Snap had been cloaked, a nose like Finn’s would explain how they were detected. “You didn’t notice any smells out of the ordinary?”

"No. If I did, I would have reported them to Nines and we’d have investigated.”

Aaaaand another dead end. Poe scribbled in his notebook, mostly to look like he was finding Finn’s info useful (it wasn’t). But if Hux thought Poe was getting something out of this interview, maybe he’d start to sweat. 

Finn shifted in his seat then, and Poe caught site of what looked suspiciously like a bite mark on his collarbone. “How’d you get that?” He motioned with his pen. 

Finn glanced at down at the wound, face revealing nothing. He didn’t seem at all concerned that Poe had seen the bite marks. “Training.”

“Your training injuries look like vampire bite marks?”

“Our training covers many different scenarios. Vampires are naturally a part of the curriculum,” Finn said with all the ease of an actor who had rehearsed their lines to perfection. Either that, or Finn was telling the truth and had really seen nothing. Heard nothing. Smelled nothing. _Done_ nothing. 

Poe stared hard at his notebook, resigning himself to the fact that this had all been a waste of time. He should have known going in that the First Order pack would be more than a little resistant to the investigation. Poe had one last hope. 

“Are you under Alpha Command, Finn?” 

Finn finally looked shocked. “It is illegal for an alpha to put either a beta or an omega under Command during a federal—“

Poe waved him off. He knew the law, but it was worth a shot. “I just had to be sure. You’re free to go, Finn.”

Finn still looked unsettled as Hux entered the interrogation room. “You may return to your duties, Beta,” the ginger said. Finn inclined his head and scurried out. 

“I trust that this has allayed any suspicions you had about our pack?” 

Poe stood and leveled a hard look at Hux. “I admit you run an airtight operation. But the FBI isn’t taking you off our radar just yet.”

Hux smiled coldly and held out his hand. “I wish you the best of luck in your investigation. I do hope you find your agents, safe and sound.”

Poe took Hux’s hand and shook it firmly. “Don’t worry. We will.”

* * *

Finn released a breath he’d been holding since he entered the interrogation room. He wondered if the vampire had seen the sweat beading on his brow when he’d noticed the wound on his collarbone. Vampires also had good hearing, right? Maybe he’d picked up on Finn’s heart pounding like a marching drum in his chest. Either way, Finn was sure his testimony had not been convincing.

He worried all the way down to the cafeteria, where he rejoined his unit at their table. Slip smiled at him as he approached; Nines and Zero barely looked up.

“How’d it go?” Nines asked, voice matter-of-fact. 

“I told them what I was supposed to, and nothing more.” Finn reached for the sandwich on his tray that he’d previously abandoned and noticed his hand was shaking. 

Zero eyed it. “Are you sure about that? Behavior tells more than words.”

Finn ripped into his sandwich. “I can fool a vampire.”

Zero looked like he wanted to say something else, likely mocking Finn per the norm, but Nines stopped him with a look. 

“If anyone at this table could fool the FBI it’s Finn. Let’s not forget how miserably you failed during last month’s conditioning tests.”

Zero pursed his lips and Slip snorted into his soup. Nines then looked to him, jabbing his fork at the younger omega. “And _you_ , Omega, have barely scraped by since we were pups. You wouldn’t have lasted sixty seconds with a vampire. No,” Nines glanced at Finn. “Finn and I are the only ones in this unit ready for active duty.”

Something stirred in Finn’s chest. It was the first time within memory that Nines had paid Finn anything close to a compliment. But it was for lying, for withholding information, for putting the First Order’s backside ahead of the law.

Finn _had_ detected something on the fourteenth. A faint smell, barely there, but that’s what made it so suspicious. It was the harsh smell of iron, muted by sagebrush and sand and something supernatural. _Vampire._

So he’d alerted Nines, and the four of them had circled around and sought out the interlopers. They engaged them, subdued them, and then dragged back two vampires, FBI agents—Jessika Pava and Temmin Wexley, according to their badges—to a waiting Alpha Phasma and Hux. 

A relief unit arrived to take care of the agents. Finn watched mutely as the protesting vampires were dragged away. 

“My unit and I will prepare our statements for their superiors,” Finn said to Alpha Hux, assuming there would be a hearing of some sort. Government agents trespassing was surely a big enough deal. Hux raised a hand.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said. “There won’t be a hearing. We’ll take care of this matter internally.”

Nines and Zero looked confused but stayed silent. Slip protested. “Surely the FBI won’t take kindly to us dealing with their agents our way—“

Hux glared down at Slip, mouth thinning into a displeased line. “ _We will deal with this matter internally,_ ” he reiterated. And just like that he was gone, and the agents were gone, and Phasma—who should have been in Yuma, but for some reason wasn’t—was commending them on a job well done and giving them the next day off. It had all been very strange. Unnerving. _Wrong._

Nines and Zero did as they were told and moved on. Slip followed their lead. Finn, however, could not stop wondering what the First Order would do with the agents. Why they wanted to deal with them internally. Why they didn’t go to the police—many of whom were, in fact, a part of the First Order pack. What was the First Order hiding?

“Earth to Finn,” Zero’s voice and a sharp kick to his shin interrupted Finn’s reverie. “It’s time for training.”

“Oh, right.” Finn glanced at the clock on the cafeteria wall. They still had half an hour before they needed to report to the gym, but Nines always liked to get his unit there early. Something about it showing dedication and leadership. “Let’s go.”

As the four of them pushed back from the table, a voice crackled over the compound’s intercom for the second time that day. And, also for the second time, the voice on the other end wanted Finn. 

“Beta Finn is to report to Alpha Phasma’s division at once,” the announcer proclaimed. 

Finn’s blood ran cold. Did Phasma know his doubts, then? Pack loyalty was placed above all else. Questioning the order of an alpha was forbidden. _Doubting_ an alpha was forbidden. If they simply _suspected_ disloyalty…

“Again?” Slip asked. 

“I knew he didn’t fool the vampire,” Zero said smugly. Finn only hoped that was the case. He’d rather be caught lying than suspected disloyal. Lying they could cover up. Disloyalty they simply disposed of. 

Nines glowered at Finn, as if it was his fault he was the most popular werewolf in the pack that day. “Don’t think this is a free pass for you. You will be making up lost training time.”

Finn inclined his head. “Yes, Beta.” And without another glance he hurried out of the cafeteria toward’s Phasma’s office. It was a long hike through the admin building, through carpeted corridors filled with other werewolves going about their business. Finn’s anxiety made the walk seem longer than it was. At long last Finn stopped in Phasma’s doorway, glancing around the office awkwardly. 

“Sit down, Beta Finn,” Phasma said, eyes glued to a file on her desk. Finn took the seat across from her and sat straight, trying to appear the perfect beta.

“I received your request to apply for nursing school, Beta,” she began, and Finn immediately relaxed. _They didn’t suspect_. 

“Yes, Alpha. I’ve been serving as my unit’s medic for a few years, and I think I could make a difference if I were to receive proper training.”

Phasma _hmmmed_ and flipped a page in the file before her. “You’ve done well as a medic, yes. But you’ve also excelled in areas more fitting of a soldier. Your marksmanship is excellent, your sense of smell is superior…the First Order feels that your talents would be wasted in the medical field. And so does the United States military.”

Finn felt his heart drop. All he’d wanted to do since he was a pup was help people. Becoming a nurse would help people. Being a soldier would not. 

“An Army recruiter will be here on Thursday. They’ve taken a special interest in you and believe they could fast track you into the officer program. This would, of course, also fast track you to Alpha status.” Phasma finally looked up, and there was a genuine smile on her face. It was proud, like a mother who’s kid had just placed first in the school talent show. Finn was her prized beta, the best werewolf the First Order had produced in years. It was just too bad Finn didn’t hold her same ideals. He was already questioning the legitimacy of his pack’s proceedings. The last thing he wanted was to be a part of that.

He cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Alpha, I believe Beta Nines is more suited to the task. He is also proficient in marksmanship—”

“But strategy, sense of smell, agility training? He trails behind you by a wide margin. The only thing he has that you don’t, Finn, is _ambition_. I think the military would be just the place to watch you grow.”

Finn’s next protest died in his throat. It was useless to protest, he knew. Phasma had made up her mind. Further dissent would only paint a target on his back. He stifled a sigh and forced a smile. 

“As you wish, Alpha Phasma.”


	2. Chapter 2

Infiltration was another of Poe’s strong suits. He hadn’t just been chosen for this job for his negotiation skills; rather, it was almost a given he wouldn’t get what he needed through mere interrogation. The director had hand-picked him because he was the only vampire who could hide his scent long enough to sneak into a den of werewolves and extract the information they needed. 

It would, by no means, be easy. That was likely how Jess and Snap disappeared; when the First Order stonewalled them, they’d attempted reconnaissance. And then they’d disappeared. Poe was all too aware that he could end up just like them as he crept through the Arizona brush, hunched down so as not to be seen prematurely. His gun hung heavily from its shoulder holster, and a knapsack was slung across his back, containing an empty flash drive, a pocket knife with a wire cutter attachment, his cellphone, a lighter, a counterfeit First Order ID card, and a small orange bottle filled with blood capsules. The only downside to hiding one’s scent so completely was the massive amount of energy it took to maintain the cloak. He’d easily go through half the bottle that night. 

The desert had cooled considerably, and Poe was grateful that he’d thought to bring a jacket with him. The mile-long walk from where he’d parked his car by the Yuma River to the compound proper would have been unpleasant without it, as the sand and dry scrub retained little of the scorching heat from earlier in the day. Poe carefully picked his way to the edge of the First Order compound, a journey that took him half the night. By the time he reached the perfectly manicured lawns at the edge of the property the moon had already sunk low in the sky. 

Now came the difficult part. Poe pulled the small bottle from his bag and popped three capsules, preparing himself for what lay ahead. Then, without another thought, he let his scent fall away and effortlessly scaled the chainlink fence that ringed the lawn. He snipped through the barbed wiring at the top and landed feet-first on the lush grass. 

The First Order compound was a sprawling complex of buildings; offices, dorms, a gym, and a packaging and distribution warehouse. Officially, the First Order was a large pack-run corporation that specialized in making gourmet frozen meals, but just about everyone knew that was a front. They were not simply large; they were _the_ largest pack in the continental United States, perhaps the world, with thousands of members that worked jobs from McDonald’s fry cooks to high-level generals. They were not just betas and omegas beneath a single alpha, but many smaller alpha-beta-omega units that answered to one alpha. Just who that supreme alpha was, however, no one knew. Hux was the most prominent of the First Order Alphas, and he was certainly the highest-ranking that anyone could point to, but even _he_ answered to someone else. Someone shadowy and wholly unknown. 

It was suspicious, certainly. But there were no laws against pack size, and until the recent vampire disappearances, there had been nothing to suggest that the First Order was involved in anything shady. And even _then,_ there was no direct evidence that the First Order was at fault for the disappearances. 

But the director had a hunch, and Poe agreed with her. Jess and Snap hadn’t vanished on accident. Either the First Order was directly involved, or they were helping with the cover up. Either way, Poe would have staked anything that they had had a hand in his friends’ disappearance. 

Poe had reached the cement paths that carved their way through the compound. He stepped off the grass and made his way to the administration building, a large circular monstrosity at the heart of the First Order’s territory. He’d almost made it to the back entrance when a voice stopped him in his tracks. 

“Halt.”

Poe turned. The werewolf looking back at him was Beta Nines, and with him was Omega Zero; Poe recognized them from the photos in their files. Nines carried a semi-automatic rifle, pointed at Poe's feet. Zero was in phase, a mid-sized red wolf with glowing yellow eyes. Poe felt an initial rush of validation upon seeing them. Hux _had_ been lying, and here was proof! And then there was the rush of terror as Poe realized they may have seen his picture. 

“Good evening, Beta,” he greeted Nines, praying that they didn’t recognize him. “What can I do for you?”

“Identify yourself,” Nines snapped. Poe nodded. 

“Of course, of course.” He rifled in his bag, careful not to jostle the pill bottle too much, and produced his fake ID. To them, he was Beta Chance, mechanical engineering. Nines snatched the ID card from Poe’s hand and ran his eyes over it suspiciously. 

“What are you doing out so late?”

“There was a problem with the air conditioning in the warehouse. Alpha Hux wanted it fixed as soon as possible.”

Nines squinted at Poe, as if trying to place him. “I haven’t heard of any issue with the warehouse.”

Poe laughed. “And I’m sure they tell you everything, right, Beta?”

The red wolf made a coughing noise that, judging by the glare Nines shot him, was laughter. The beta shoved the ID card back into Poe’s hands and reached for the walkie talkie on his hip. 

“I’m calling you in.”

“Oh yes, a great idea. Let’s wake the alpha to question why I’m doing my job. I’m sure that will go over well.” 

Nines hesitated before lowering his hand. “Just get inside,” the beta growled, jerking his thumb towards the back door. Poe inclined his head. 

“Thank you, Beta.” 

Now the moment of truth. His fake ID had gotten him this far; he prayed to whatever deity may be listening that it actually opened the door as the director said it would. He swiped it in front of the sensor. It flashed red. 

Behind him, he heard Zero growl. He turned to them, flashed them a sheepish smile, and tried not to let his sudden spike of fear overpower his scent camouflage. He took a deep breath and swiped his card again. The sensor hesitated, then turned green. 

Nines straightened. “Well then. Carry on.”

Poe saluted the beta and scurried inside, heart racing. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it to catch his breath. He’d come _this_ close to failing, of meeting the same fate as Jess and Snap. 

_But you didn’t_ , he reminded himself. Poe squared his shoulders and took off down the hall at a brisk walk. He had a mission to complete. 

The plans to the First Order’s main headquarters were public access, and Poe had memorized the path to get where he needed prior to arriving in Arizona. However, he was quickly realizing that the plans he’d used were not entirely accurate. There were sometimes two halls when there should have been one, one hall where there should have been two, and sometimes no halls at all. Poe frowned ever so slightly. An uneasy feeling was building in the pit of his stomach. Why would the plans not match the layout? What could the First Order possibly be hiding?

The infiltrator in him longed to go exploring, to learn where these phantom halls led, but that wasn’t why he was here. He made a mental note of it, to bring up with the director later, and pressed on. 

As he walked, the number of werewolves he encountered thinned until he was alone in the main hall. _Closing time_ , he assumed. It felt as though he’d been trudging along through neutrally painted corridors for hours now; he found himself wondering if the central computer bank was also a phantom, on the plans but not in the actual compound. 

Anxious sweat was just starting to bead on his forehead when he came upon the room he'd been looking for. A nondescript door, bearing the placard "operations," sat right where it should have been. The plans were accurate about at least one thing, then. Poe glanced left, then right, and gingerly pushed the door open. 

It was dark inside, and Poe fumbled on the wall for the light switch. He snapped it on and was greeted with rows and rows of computer banks, all blinking innocently. What a frozen food plant needed a network this size for was a mystery, like much of the First Order's operations. Things were getting more and more suspicious. 

Poe made his way through the aisles of servers, seeking out a monitor he could plug the flash drive into. There, in the very back of the operations room, was a lone computer screen sitting on a desk. Poe crept over to it and deftly slipped the flash drive into the monitor's USB port. He wiggled the mouse and watched as the computer screen came to life. He was met with a blinking box, demanding a card swipe. Only a werewolf with enough clearance was allowed to access these computers. Thankfully, as a mechanical engineer, Beta Chance had that clearance. Poe swiped his key card and the password screen dissolved into a standard desktop screen. 

Poe's first order of business was to locate Jess and Snap, if they were anywhere within the compound. It was simple enough to find the written report of the incident that had occurred on the fourteenth, and as Poe's eyes ripped over it, his blood started to boil. Alpha Hux had been lying, and so had Beta Finn. Jess and Snap had indeed been captured, but all the report said was that they had been assigned to Project New Dawn. Poe could find no record of where they were being held, or if they had been interrogated. He also found no mention of the twenty missing vampires--everything came back to Project New Dawn. 

A noise came from behind Poe and he jumped, hand reaching for his gun in its holster. His eyes raked over the tens of computer towers behind him, searching for some sign of life. He found none. _You're just hearing things_ , Poe thought. That is what happened when you had incredibly sensitive hearing, after all. Poe set back to work, opening up a search box and wondering just what this Project New Dawn was. His brow furrowed as he scrolled through all the files that came up. There were incoming and outgoing shipment records for New Dawn, a list of personnel involved in the project, and coded directives for the alphas, but nothing that explicitly stated what exactly New Dawn _was_ \--no, wait. Hold on. There, tucked between a couple of shipment manifests, was a file entitled "Project Overview." This had to be it. 

Poe went to click open the file, but another noise came from behind Poe. He started, whipping around and once more searching for the source of the noise. He came up empty handed once more, but realized now was not the time to be reading these files in-depth. He could get back to his hotel room in Yuma and worry about it then. For now, he just needed the intel. Poe dragged the overview file, as well as the personnel list, onto his flash drive and ripped the drive from the computer. It was time to leave. 

* * *

The night was chilly. Finn was glad he had been assigned as an in-phase guard, because without his fur coat he knew he'd be shivering. Slip was certainly cold, because Finn could see his hands shaking on the grip of his gun.

_You'd never know we lived in a desert,_ Finn said over the wolf link. He nudged Slip's hand with his nose. _It's freezing out here._

Slip shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. _I don't mind it. The cold is bracing._

_Whatever you say,_ Finn said in response. 

Their patrol, thus far, had been uneventful, as it was most nights. Until the vampire FBI agents had showed up, nothing ever happened at the First Order compound. Anyone who might be interested in their proceedings was already a part of the pack. Hell, half of the American southwest was comprised of First Order werewolves. To Finn, the intense security felt out of place. Again, he questioned the motives of his pack. What were they hiding, that they demanded armed guards on the premises twenty-four seven? No one with nothing to hide would have as much security.

Tonight was shaping up to be like pretty much every other night—nothing of interest. It wasn't until Finn and Slip were on their ninth loop that Finn smelled it. Slip was talking about something—Finn, truth be told, hadn't been listening—but Finn shushed him. 

“What is it?” Slip asked in a quiet voice. He lifted his semiautomatic, eyes searching in the dark. Finn lifted his nose to the wind and took a long, deep breath. 

_I smell something,_ he said. Slip sniffed, but Finn knew his partner wouldn’t be able to pick it up. It was so faint, to the southwest… _Com Nines and Zero. Tell them to circle around to the west outside the fence._

Slip did as he was told, almost whispering into his headset. Finn padded to the edge of the First Order compound, where a fence separated the manicured lawn from the barren landscape of the Arizona desert that yawned before them. It was dark save for the watery light of the crescent moon above, dancing on the sage and cacti. The smell was growing stronger. 

“Nines and Zero are on their way,” Slip reported. 

_Good. We’ll head out, try to herd whoever this is towards them. Can you phase?_

Slip flicked the semiautomatic’s safety on and slung it over his shoulder. Then, on command, he dropped to all fours and entered phase. His wolf form had mottled grey fur: very gangly, but fast. _Let’s go._

Together they leapt over the fence and took off running, streaking silently over the cool dirt. Finn took the lead, keeping his nose low, eyes peeled for any sign of movement. The vampire cloak was a powerful thing, able to even make the vampire themselves invisible to the eye, with next to no smell. Finn couldn’t see them, but he was the only wolf in the First Order compound capable of smelling them while they were cloaked. It was an ability that made him the pride of the Alphas and the object of derision of many Betas and Omegas. Nines, in particular, seemed to have it out for Finn. Only one in their unit would be allowed to become an Alpha, and it was no secret that pretty much everyone in power favored Finn for the job. Never mind that Finn didn’t want it, that he would happily give it up to Nines. The opinion of a beta mattered about as much as an omega. 

The vampire’s smell was suddenly very strong, very earthy, very…familiar. 

_I know who it is!_ Finn said in surprise. 

_Who?_ said Nines, now in range of the wolf link. Finn sensed Zero was in phase as well, running along beside Nines.

_It’s the FBI agent from earlier,_ Finn updated them. _It’s Poe Dameron._

_Everyone, full stop_! Nines commanded. As one, the four werewolves slowed to a halt. Behind Finn, Slip panted heavily. He was fast, but had the stamina of a sloth. 

_What’s the game plan?_ Zero asked. It was directed at Nines, but Nines had no idea where the vampires were. So Finn answered instead. 

_He’s just east of Slip and I. Nines, Zero, you move towards us and make some noise. Try to push the vampire towards us._

_How will Nines and Zero know where to move if the agent is cloaked?_ Slip asked, still panting. 

_He must be getting tired; I think I can smell him. We’ll know where he is,_ Nines assured them. Nines' thoughts were tinged with bitterness; he didn’t like that Finn had decided to call the shots. Finn ignored him.

_Ready, Slip?_

The gangly wolf nodded. As one, the two wolves sank low to the ground, slinking through the underbrush as silently as possible. Every so often they would change direction as the vampire moved ahead of them. The vampire inched closer, until he was just in range of Finn. He couldn’t see the other yet, but Poe’s cloak was wearing off; he smelled as strongly before Finn as if he wasn’t cloaked at all. Nines and Zero had done a good job pushing the trespasser into position. 

_Just a little further…_ Finn said. He was so close—

A twig snapped. Finn’s head whipped around to see Slip, frozen, the splinter of the twig beneath his paw. 

_Shit._

Poe, realizing there were more than two werewolves in the area, dropped all pretense. The cloak around him vanished and Finn could see the agent bathed in moonlight. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket, unlike the suit he had worn earlier, and a bag hung from his shoulder that he clutched tightly to his chest. 

_Now!_ Nines shouted. The four wolves leapt into action as the vampire drew his gun. Finn connected with the man, driving his shoulder into the vampire’s chest and throwing him to the ground. The gun Poe was holding went off and someone yelped, but Finn didn’t know who. He snarled at the vampire struggling beneath him, trying to subdue him with as little force as possible. 

In an act of desperation, the man sank his teeth into Finn’s neck, right where the first vampire had bit him the other night. Finn yelped and threw the man free. Poe landed some feet away, dazed but alive. Zero had phased out and was racing towards the vampire, gun drawn. 

“Don’t move!”

But Poe wasn’t done. He leapt to his feet, favoring one leg, his own gun pointed straight at Zero. “You’re under arrest for the kidnapping of FBI agents Jessika Pava and Temmin Wexley,” he said. Poe seemed to realize it was a losing battle, but he was determined. 

Behind Finn, Nines let out a biting laugh. He’d also phased out and was sauntering towards the defeated vampire with the look of a cat about to devour a mouse. “There’s some misplaced bravado for you. A valiant effort, but there’s no way out for you, leech.”

Slip, now phased out as well, struggled to stand. He was clutching his side; blood was seeping through his fingers. He was the one who had been shot. 

“Finn, come show this vampire what First Order wolves are made of,” Nines ordered. Finn glanced from Slip, who had collapsed on the ground, to Poe. Their eyes locked and a look of recognition flickered across Poe’s face. And in that moment, Finn realized—not only did he not want to hurt Poe, he _couldn’t_. He had been the reason Temmin and Jessika were missing. He wasn’t going to be the reason Poe disappeared, too. There were more important things to attend to right now.

_No. Slip is hurt._ Finn said over the wolf link. This earned him nasty looks from both Zero and Nines. 

“I’ll be fine,” Slip said in a breathy voice that made Finn certain he absolutely would _not_ be fine. He phased out and rushed to Slip’s side, immediately putting pressure on the wound. It appeared the bullet had only grazed his side; a lot of bleeding, but not much damage. Slip would survive. 

“Fine. I’ll show you myself,” Nines growled down at Agent Dameron. Nines phased into his white wolf form. Poe didn’t have a chance to cock his gun before he was thrown to the ground. His head hit the hard earth with a horrible _thunk_ and he went still. 

“What the hell, Finn?” Nines phased out and stalked towards Finn, eyes ablaze. 

Finn met his gaze, unflinching. “You had it under control. Slip could have been seriously hurt.”

“I said I was fine,” Slip muttered. 

“That’s not the _point!_ ” Nines threw his hands up. “Our job is to protect the First Order as a whole, and the vampire was the immediate threat. Slip can handle himself. I _ordered—_ “

“I didn't realize you’d been granted Alpha status,” Finn said flatly, cutting Nines off. The other’s eye twitched. A tense moment passed between them, and Finn half thought Nines would phase right then and there and challenge him. Zero and Slip held their breath, eyes flicking between the two betas. After a long minute, Nines made a disgusted noise and turned away. 

"Alpha Phasma will be hearing about this," he growled. 

Finn lifted his chin. A biting reply sat on his tongue but he stifled it. Nines was still on edge, and any wrong move could incite a fight. Slip didn't need a fight right now, he needed a doctor. 

"Can you stand?" Finn asked, putting one hand under Slip's elbow. The other nodded, but his face was pale. He was losing a lot of blood. "Let's get you to the infirmary."

The trek back was long, and filled with uncomfortable silence. Nines allowed his anger to spill over into the wolf link, making sure that Finn _knew_ he was still displeased with him. Finn was fine with that. He didn't need Nines' approval. 

The bite on Finn’s neck stung, but there thankfully hadn't been any venom in the FBI agent's bite. Vampire venom was notoriously toxic to werewolves; even the smallest amount could act as a neurotoxin and send the affected werewolf into cardiac arrest. This, coupled with the non-fatal wound that Slip had acquired, told Finn that Poe didn't _want_ to kill them. But the First Order, he knew, was prepared to gun down anyone who trespassed. If they hadn't subdued Agent Dameron when they had, they would have been commended for ripping the vampire to pieces. This knowledge did not sit well with Finn. As they dragged an unconscious Poe back to the compound, Finn wondered if capturing him had really been the right thing to do. He would undoubtedly be dealt with like his missing counterparts. And just where had they gone? Finn had heard nothing, seen nothing, _smelled_ nothing of them since the fourteenth. Something had happened to them. It drove him crazy that he didn't know _what_.

They reached the main complex. 

"Zero and I will alert the alphas. Finn, get Slip to the infirmary," Nines ordered. Nines was trying to get rid of Finn, he knew. It was Finn who had alerted them to the Poe's presence. Nines clearly didn't want the other beta getting the credit, and would likely expound in great detail how Finn had refused a direct order. 

Finn should have been bothered. Finn should have been worried for himself. Instead, he worried only for Poe


	3. Chapter 3

Finn dropped his packmate off at the infirmary. He was really starting to fear for Slip. The other werewolf had lost quite a lot of blood, and was pale and shaking when they took him to the back room. It seemed like his injuries would have demanded a visit to the Yuma emergency room. But when he questioned the doctor on staff, he was told that they would treat him on site. Much like how the vampires were dealt with on site. 

Something was going on in the First Order pack, and Finn wanted to know what. Serving under alphas that refused to keep their betas and omegas up to date was suspicious and left a foul taste in Finn's mouth. 

And he couldn't stop thinking about Poe Dameron. Guilt plagued him, now that he was responsible for the disappearance of three vampiric FBI agents. If the First Order could hold these vampires, it didn't seem a stretch that they could also be to blame for the civilian vampire disappearances. 

"Can I wait for him?" Finn asked as they helped Slip onto a gurney. He had no doubt that his packmate was in good hands, but now he was worried. It was probably unfounded. The First Order wouldn't make their own members disappear. But why didn't they want to alert the emergency room? Why treat him onsite?

His fears were only cemented when the doctor shook her head. "You have duties to attend to, beta."

"Okay, then can I visit tomorrow after my shift?"

The doctor looked annoyed. "Do you not trust us to treat your packmate?"  
  
Finn back-tracked. "No, that's not it, I--"

"Then get back to your job and let us do ours," the doctor said in a clipped tone that ended the conversation. She swept into the back room after Slip, leaving Finn alone at the intake desk. Finn _hmm_ ed and crossed his arms. 

This whole situation stank of something illegal. Finn's question now was, did he trust his pack, or did he do something about his gut feeling? He left the infirmary torn. 

He should be loyal. He should put his pack first. He'd been raised since puphood to think only of the First Order. His traitorous thoughts now should have disturbed him. But really, what disturbed him more was the thought that his pack was on the wrong side of the law. Something had to be done. Finn couldn't count on Nines or Zero to have his back, and he couldn't trust Alpha Phasma or Hux to do the right thing. It seemed, if he wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on, he would have to do it himself. 

Or...maybe not. Agents Pava and Wexley had been kept in a holding cell for twenty-four hours, this Finn knew. What happened after that twenty-four hours was a mystery, but it was surely a fate that would befall Poe. If Finn wanted help in finding out the truth, he could have it...for twenty-four hours. Unless he managed to help the agent escape. 

It was treason. Finn could face a fate similar to that of the missing vampires of he was discovered...whatever that fate _was_. He had to act fast, before his packmates or his superiors got suspicious. His breathing quickened. 

This was happening.

* * *

Poe Dameron had been in sticky situations before. There’d been that time in Ohio, of all places, where he’d ended up hog-tied in a grain barn. And another incident in Monterey when he’d been thrown into the back of a cement mixer. The key to being an excellent infiltrator was being an escape artist. But this seemed to be the only trap he might not escape from.

He was convinced now that the First Order pack was behind every vampire disappearance from Reno to Dallas. Sure, Poe had been trespassing, but if the First Order wanted to punish him through the law they’d have called his director immediately after taking him into custody. Poe was very, very sure they had not called Director Organa. 

There was also the fact that this holding cell seemed to be made for vampires. The lights were emitting UVA and UVB—he could feel himself growing weaker by the minute. As it was, he could do little more than sit on the glaring white floor and try not to fall asleep. The glass was thick and one-way, rending his superhuman sight and hearing all but worthless. Oh, and it was clearly lined with pure silver. If Poe attempted to claw his way out of the cell he’d be burned on contact. 

The only question now was _why_. The First Order was in every tier of society. They had power, money, influence. Why jeopardize all that? 

Hux had a plan, Poe was sure, and it _bothered_ him that he couldn’t infer just what the First Order had up their sleeve. He had no doubt if he didn’t get out of the First Order holding cell, he’d find out soon enough. 

“—Hux has requested transport of the prisoner,” a familiar voice managed to reach Poe through the thick glass. His ears perked and he leaned forward, straining to hear more. 

“I was not informed of any transfer,” a second voice said. 

“Is the First Order required to let you know of every detail, Omega?” The first voice said, sounding irritated. The identity of the voice clicked: Beta Finn. 

“No, I—”

“Shall I tell Alpha Hux that all orders must be run past you first, then? That no work is to be done until you, personally, have been informed?”

“No, no. There’s no need,” the omega sounded frazzled. Poe heard them approaching the door to his cell and scuttled backward. It swung open, revealing Finn and the omega. 

“On your feet, leech,” Finn ordered, stepping forward and dragging Poe up by his bicep. Poe was ashamed to say his feet could barely support him. The lights that the First Order had installed in these cells were intense. 

“Do you need any help transporting the prisoner?” the omega asked, still standing at the door. Finn cuffed Poe’s hands, but the cuffs didn’t latch. Poe wished he could do something, then and there—throw off the cuffs, throw back the werewolves, fight his way to freedom. But even this little bit of luck did him no good if he couldn’t lift a finger under these lights. He desperately needed blood capsules to make any effect at all. 

“No,” Finn said, giving Poe a strange look that the omega couldn’t see. “I’ve got this.” 

_Holy shit._ The werewolf that had brought Poe down was the werewolf that was busting him out. Stranger things had happened. 

“Let’s move,” Finn pushed Poe ahead of him. Once they left the cell, Poe felt an immediate difference. Without the UV lights draining him, his energy started to slowly trickle back. 

Poe wasn't sure how long he'd been in that holding cell, but it had to have been at least a day. It was after hours again—there were no windows to show day or night, but there were no werewolves in the corridors. Finn led him down a hall and pushed him into a broom closet, then closed the door after them. 

“You know what’s happening, right?” Finn asked in a whisper.

“You’re helping me escape.” 

“Right.” Finn slipped the unlatched cuffs off of Poe’s wrist and pressed something into his palm. “I got these from your bag. I hope they’re what I think they are.”

Poe looked down at the bottle of red, liquid-filled capsules Finn had handed him. _Blood capsules_. Without hesitation Poe popped two in his mouth and swallowed. They would take a bit to kick in, but when they did Poe would be back at full strength. 

“Why are you doing this? Why help me?” he asked. It didn’t make sense for a werewolf to betray his pack like this. And certainly not for a vampire, of all beings.

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Finn said. That answered exactly zero of Poe’s questions, and in fact gave him _more_ , but Finn offered nothing else. “I also grabbed these,” He handed Poe his bag and gun, still in its shoulder holster. “I figured you’d need them.”

Poe nearly whooped. “Yes, Finn—you have no idea what the flash drive in this bag will do.”

“It’ll find the missing vampires, right?”

“It should help, at the very least.”

“Good. Now let’s go.”

Poe slipped into his holster and threw the bag over his shoulder. “How are we getting out of here?” 

“Through the sanitation tunnels. They’ll take us to the parking garage, where we can steal a car. Then we drive as far away from here as possible. You’re going to have to put these back on, though.” Finn held up the cuffs. 

A small price to pay for being busted out of his prison. Poe allowed Finn to reapply the cuffs, and once again he left them unlatched. Finn pushed Poe out of the broom closet and steered him to the right. 

"This way," he said in a hushed voice. 

Poe's heart thudded in his chest. He was still in disbelief that this was happening, and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. There had to be something motivating Finn, but Poe couldn't figure out what it was. It seemed too good to be true. But Finn stayed true to his word, guiding Poe through twisting corridors until they came to a blank metal door. With a last glance over his shoulder, Finn pushed it open and ushered Poe inside onto a cement landing. The door slammed shut behind them.

Poe was already shedding the cuffs, checking his gun to see how many rounds he had left. 

"We'll need to be quick. I don't know how long they'll be before they realize you are missing," Finn said, starting down the steps that descended below the facility. 

Poe nodded and reholstered his weapon, following Finn down the stairs. “Which direction is the parking garage?” he asked when they reached the bottom of the stairs. The tunnels were pitch dark when not in use; as a vampire, Poe had no doubt he could see better in the dark than Finn. Werewolves had notoriously bad night vision. Better than a humans, but not by much.

Finn followed Poe’s line of reasoning and fell behind him. “Just head straight. Follow the signs to Section 12 and it’ll take us straight there.”

They took off down the yawning corridor, staying as quiet as possible in case they just happened to not be alone. The tunnels twisted back and forth; Poe took many turns that felt redundant. Just when Poe was starting to think they’d been going in circles, a faint light appeared ahead of them. It was late afternoon sunlight from the parking garages, gleaming through wire glass. 

Finn was at Poe's shoulder all of a sudden. “So just to check…you can hot wire a care, right?”

Poe gave Finn a look. “Your car isn’t in there?”

Finn chewed his lip. “Only Alphas are allowed to have cars on the compound.”

Poe had no response to that, except a tinge of anger this that the First Order was allowed to treat its pack members in such a way. But he nodded. “This won’t be my first time stealing a car in the name of the greater good.”

Poe and Finn burst through the doors into the parking garage. Only a few cars filled it at this hour; a couple sedans, a truck, and a gleaming black soft top Camaro. 

“That’s Alpha Hux’s,” Finn saw Poe’s look. The vampire smiled. 

“That’s our ride out of here.” Poe crept closer to the muscle car and tried the handle; it was unlocked. But of course it was. This was First Order territory, and no one would dare steal an alpha's vehicle. Poe knelt down by the footwell and pried the plastic cover off of the steering column. He removed the pocket knife from his bag and set about cutting the necessary wires and twisting them back together. He then tapped the tips of the starter wires to each other, and the engine roared to life. 

Finn, who had slid in through passenger side door, looked impressed as Poe clambered into the driver's seat. "You did that almost too quickly."

Poe flashed Finn a smile. "They teach you a lot of things at Quantico." He slammed the door shut and put the car into gear. "Ready for this? You can still go back, you know."

Finn shook his head and stared straight ahead. "There's something going on in my pack, and I don't want to be a part of it. Besides, that omega would identify me in a heartbeat. I'm done."

"Well alright then," Poe gripped the steering wheel. "We're out of here." He tapped the accelerator and they pulled out of the parking garage. 

"When they find out you're missing, they'll also find out that you've stolen Hux's car," Finn warned Poe. "Just drive fast and don't stop at the gate. That's your only option."

Poe's answer was to gun the engine. They roared through the compound, cutting the corners close. They were almost to the front gate, but as they approached, the security arm descended over the drive. Two werewolves toting semiautomatics stood beside the barrier. One held up a hand, ordering them to stop.

Finn cursed. "We weren't fast enough."

Poe adjusted his grip on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. "We aren't going to let a thin metal arm stop us," he said.

Finn gave him an alarmed look. He looked like he wanted to protest, but the words didn't have a chance to leave his mouth before the Camaro went speeding through the arm. It snapped off easily, barely denting the front bumper. Poe flashed a smile at Finn. The werewolf was shocked but recovered quickly. 

"Go faster. They'll catch up to us soon," Finn urged. 

Poe glanced in the rearview mirror, catching sight of three black sedans racing towards them. "They already have."

Finn twisted in his seat and cursed again. No sooner had the words left his mouth than gunfire erupted from the cars, cutting holes through the soft top. Poe and Finn ducked simultaneously, narrowly dodging the onslaught. Poe pushed the car ever faster. 

They were on a long straightaway, with no opportunities to turn the car and avoid the bullets. Poe reached for his gun in his holster; he could drive one handed and shoot. It couldn't be _that_ hard on a straight shot. But Finn stopped him. 

"Hold on." The werewolf dug in the Camaro's glove box and produced a Glock. _Of course_ the alpha would have one of those lying around. Finn checked the clip to make sure it was loaded and flipped the safety off. Poe, deciding it was better to let someone else do the shooting, slammed the roof retract button. The abused soft top slowly sank back into its resting spot as another barrage of bullets seared through the air. 

Finn's pistol was hardly a match for the multiple semiautomatics that were firing at them, but he wasn't aiming for the drivers. Finn popped up, fired three rounds, and dove back down as a third round of weapon's fire rained down on them. One of his rounds hit home and blew the front tire of the leading car. It spun out and flipped off of the road.

"Nice shot!" Poe shouted over the wind. They were going nearly one hundred miles an hour, and yet the other cars were somehow still gaining on them. Poe floored the muscle car, wincing as the engine whined worryingly. Just because a car _could_ go so fast, didn't mean it _should_. The two sedans kept pace. 

Finn fired off two more rounds, both of them striking the bumper of the second car. He crouched down in the passenger seat. "We're not going to lose them like this," he said. "They'll have alerted the cops. Even if we get away, we'll be stopped in town."

"I can explain--"

"They'll be First Order cops, Poe," Finn said. 

"Fuck."

"There's a dirt service road coming up. Turn left and take it all the way to the river."

Poe spied the road just as Finn said that. He slammed on the brakes, pulled the handbrake, and sharply turned the wheel. The Camaro just barely made the turn, its back tires screeching loudly in protest. They kicked up a cloud of dust when they hit the dirt. Poe gunned it again, shooting out of the cloud. He glanced in his side mirror and saw the remaining two cars speed by the turn. That move had earned them a few seconds. 

"What now?" Poe asked, since Finn seemed to have a plan. The other man crouched on his seat, flipped the safety on the Glock, and tossed it into the floorboards.

"The river is coming up," he said. "We ditch the car, I go into phase, and I carry us down the rapids. They won't be able to follow us unless they're on foot, and they'll have no idea where we'll climb out at."

Poe shot Finn a look. " _That's_ your plan?"

Finn returned the look. "Do you have a better idea? Our car is marked, and we've only got half a tank of gas. We won't make it out of First Order territory on just that."

Poe hated to admit it, but Finn was right. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking. He didn't have a chance to think for long. The two First Order vehicles had caught up with them, and they sprayed yet another round of gunfire over their heads. 

"Right. Your way it is, then," Poe said. He urged the car faster. They were already going slower than they had been on the paved road, for safety's sake, but the First Order didn't seem to care about safety. They were gaining again. "How far to the river?"

Finn squinted into the dark. "It shouldn't be too far."

The werewolf was right. Only seconds afterwards, the ravine came into focus under the last rays of the dying sun. It was all Finn now.

The werewolf waited until right before the car tumbled over the edge to shift into phase. He shouted "Go!" and took his wolf form. At the same time, Poe wrapped his arms around Finn's neck and prayed this would work. Finn jumped and the car went careening into the river. It was quickly swept away by the swift current. 

They hit the river. The shockingly cold water took Poe's breath away. The force of the impact almost ripped him away from Finn, but he dug his hands into the werewolf's fur and clung on for dear life. Finn immediately turned his nose downstream, and was able to keep both their heads above water. 

If Poe glanced up he could see the two First Order sedans coming to a stop, shining their lights on the water. Poe and Finn were quickly being washed away, and for one hopeful moment Poe thought they'd made it away clean. Then there was a shout, and Poe saw one of the werewolves raise a gun, and he heard it discharge. Finn yelped and they were suddenly underwater. _They shot Finn_. 

_Shit shit shit shit_ , Poe thought. He kept one hand wrapped around Finn's neck, and struggled to the surface with the other. Finn was weakly trying to help--which was good. At least he was still _alive_ \--but his dog paddle was lopsided. He must have been shot in the leg.

They were pulled further downstream, the current dragging them along sharp sediment that lined the riverbed and slamming them into rocks that fueled the rapids. After what seemed like hours they reached a point in the river where the ravine evened out. A sandy shore appeared where only sloping rock had been before. But the river was also a lot wider now. There was no way to for Poe to swim out of the current, towing Finn, and make for said shore. Still, he tried, valiantly tugging at the werewolf who could only haltingly offer assistance with his remaining three paws. 

Up ahead, Poe could hear the sounds of more rapids. His body already ached from being tossed around into rocks and dragged along the shallow floor. He didn't think he could take a second beating in them. With renewed vigor he pushed for the shore. Finn, too, had seen the rapids, and it was quite obvious he wasn't eager for another ride. He struggled right alongside Poe, planting his back paws deep in the river sediment and clawing sideways with his remaining good leg to wrest them from the grips of the current. It took him three tries before he was able to free them. 

They were in the shallows now, and the going was easier. With the last of his strength, Poe hauled Finn to his feet and began dragging the other to shore. Realizing being a six foot wolf was only hindering them now, Finn went out of phase and leaned heavily on Poe. In his human form, Poe could see that yes, Finn had been shot. Blood poured from a wound that appeared to go straight through his left shoulder. 

"Not good," he commented. 

Finn, breathing hard, looked from the bullet hole back to Poe. He winced. "Bullet went clean through, though. It could have been worse."

That it could have. The two of them collapsed, exhausted, on the shore, and for a moment they just lay there, catching their breath. 

Poe's bag had miraculously stayed with them through the wild ride. He unzipped it and pried out his cellphone. Of course he knew it would be dead from water damage, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least _try_ to call the director. Sure enough, it didn't respond to any of his commands. He tossed the phone aside. 

"How far away do you think we got?" Finn panted. 

Poe looked back upstream. "Far enough. You said they wouldn't be able to follow the river unless they were on foot. They won't find us for a while."

"Even so, we should get out of the open."

"Yeah," Poe agreed, and with a great effort got to his feet. He reached down a hand to help Finn up. The other got his legs under him and clutched at his shoulder, hissing as he jostled the wound. They both looked downstream, at the narrowing ravine and all the crevices it held. If they wanted to avoid detection, that's where they would go. With weary expressions, the two trudged onward.


	4. Chapter 4

**** The going was slow. There wasn't much of a shore in the ravine, and one wrong misstep could send either one of them tumbling back into the river. Finn was finding it especially hard to navigate the narrow strip. His breathing was fast and shallow, and he'd started to shake. It was a brisk night, but he was unnaturally chilled.

_Shock_ , he knew. From blood loss. As much pressure as he applied to the wound, it would not stop bleeding. He was sure that the shirt of his black shift suit (a garment most werewolves wore that would stay intact as they shifted in and out of phase) was all but soaked in blood at this point. 

"Poe," he panted. "We need to stop."

Poe looked ahead, and then back at Finn, a grim look on his face. "There's an alcove coming up. It'll be cramped, but it will keep us out of sight."

Finn locked his eyes on the target and made a beeline for the small opening in the ravine wall. It was going to be a tight fit, but Finn just needed to rest. He nearly collapsed inside, gasping as he moved his injured shoulder. 

"We need to bandage that," Poe commented, ducking into the alcove. He tossed his bag onto the ground and sat down across from Finn.

Finn glanced down at his shoulder. "I don't think a simple bandage will do it," he said. "It either needs to be packed with gauze we don't have, or it needs to be cauterized. It won't stop on its own."

Poe tapped a finger on the alcove floor. "Neither of those is a viable answer to this problem."

"You have a lighter, and you have a bullet. All you need to do is--"

"No. You could do more harm than good if you seal it up."

"More harm than bleeding out? Or dying of shock?"

Poe sighed. He looked like he really, really didn't want to do what Finn was asking. 

"I was my unit's medic. I know what I'm doing. How much medical training have you had?"

"All I'm saying is the risk of infection--"

"Is secondary to not dying right this minute. We'll get to Yuma and we can patch it up better from there."

Poe narrowed his eyes at Finn before once more realizing his plan of action was best. 

"Okay. Tell me what to do."

"First, we need a damp rag..."

Poe ripped the hem off of his pants and drenched it in river water. Then, at Finn's instruction, he used his pocket knife to pry the firing pin off the back of one of their remaining bullets. Finn lay on his back as best he could, and Poe poured the gunpowder onto the freely bleeding wound. He then retrieved his lighter from the bag and held it over Finn's shoulder. He glanced down at Finn, hesitating. 

"You're sure about this."

Finn stared straight ahead, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen. "Yes."

Poe shook his head. "Alright." And he lit the gunpowder. It went up in sparks and Finn grunted. Poe immediately reached for the damp rag and smothered the fire. When he pulled the rag back, the wound had indeed stopped bleeding. It was now a twisted, inflamed mess, but at least it wasn't a bleeding-out-and-dying mess. He helped Finn back into a sitting position. 

"Better?" he asked. 

Finn closed his eyes. The wound at his shoulder throbbed, and each breath made it nearly unbearable. "Define better."

Poe couldn't help but smile. "Well, like you said, you didn't die of exsanguination so I'd count that as a win."

Finn might have stopped bleeding, but he was still very, very cold. Shock, or even hypothermia, was still a threat. He shivered hard. Poe's smile vanished and he looked concerned again. 

"Here," he said, shrugging out of his jacket and throwing it about Finn's shoulders. Poe pulled it tight around him and Finn huddled into it. "We can't stay put for long, though. We have to keep moving west, and we should probably get away from the river. They've likely found my car by now; getting to Yuma is our only hope to get this flash drive back to DC."

Finn nodded. "We'll have to hide our scent somehow. It's nearly dark, but they'll have teams out searching. If we slather ourselves in mud, maybe we can make it all the way there without being detected."

"I have a better idea," Poe said, and pulled the blood capsules from his bag. He dumped four into his hand and downed them. 

Finn eyed him. "That'll work for you, but I still smell."

"Not for long."

"You can really hide someone _else's_ scent?" Finn was disbelieving. 

Poe winked at him. "As long as I have blood, it's not hard. And thankfully I'm not going up against your nose."

Finn smirked. "We should get going, then."

"Are you well enough?"

"I'm going to have to be."

Poe didn't look convinced, but even he couldn't deny the need to keep moving. So he grabbed his bag, and they both got to their feet. They slipped out of the alcove, Finn leading the way. 

The sun had completely sunk beneath the horizon by now. Only the last vestiges of sunlight guided them through the ravine to another sloping shore. They clambered out of the ravine, away from the river, and began the trudge towards the distant horizon. Keeping them cloaked must have been taxing, because every so often Poe would pop another two or three capsules. 

"How much longer can you keep this up?" Finn asked. He was starting to feel a bit better, and his shoulder didn't hurt as much. The pain was ignorable, at the very least, and as far as shock went, he was no longer chilled.

Poe looked down at the orange bottle in his hand. It was a little less than one third full. "Hopefully until Yuma," he said. "But I don't know how far out we are. Maybe another four hours?"

"We should pick up the pace," Finn suggested. He urged his legs faster, something that was very difficult to do in his exhausted state. Poe kept up, throwing anxious glances Finn's way. Finn caught sight of him. "I'll be fine, Poe. I've trained for this."

"The more you talk about what you've gone through in your pack, the less I like them."

Finn huffed a laugh. Having grown up in the First Order, it didn't seem so strange to him. Every werewolf trained like he did. 

"I find it odd that an FBI agent, someone who _also_ trained for this, is so preoccupied with my wellbeing."

"You're a civilian, Finn. You shouldn't be paramilitary. Do you know what they were training you _for_?"

"They wanted me in the army. A recruiter was coming to talk to me this week, actually."

Poe shook his head. "Food packaging my ass. I want nothing more than to shut that whole pack _down._ " 

"Is that really your mission? Shutting the First Order down?" 

Poe exhaled through his nose. "Not explicitly, no. But we have a pretty strong hunch that the First Order is behind the vampire disappearances. Jess and Snap vanishing only cemented those fears. I certainly won't be broken up about it if we happen to bring the First Order down in the process of finding the missing vampires."

Finn looked straight ahead. His whole life, he realized, he'd been rather sheltered. He hadn't been off the compound more than a few times since he arrived there as a teenager. He knew nothing of the outside world, other than what the alphas had told him and his packmates. It struck him then that his "normal" might be the furthest thing from everyone else's definition of the word. 

"Why did you trust me, then?" Finn asked. "I'm First Order."

"Yeah, and you saved my ass."

"After bringing you and your agent friends in."

"I'm going to assume you didn't have much say in the matter. You were doing what you were told. Whatever happened to them, it wasn't your fault. It's quite obvious you're not a fan of the First Order's operations," Poe explained. He reached into his bag and pulled out the flash drive. It was a durable piece of hardware, completely undamaged by their jaunt in the river. "All that matters now is that you are the reason this will make it back to my director."

Finn looked at the drive. "What exactly did you find on the First Order's computers?"

Poe rubbed his thumb over the drive. "Something called Project New Dawn. Ever heard of it?"

Finn started to shake his head, but stopped. "Once. Alpha Ren mentioned it during his last visit. I don't know anything about it, though."

"Who's Alpha Ren?" Poe asked, looking only mildly interested. He stared hard at the thumb drive, as if he could read its contents just by looking at it.

Finn reflexively snapped his mouth shut. He shouldn't have mentioned Alpha Ren. It was forbidden to mention the alpha. Ren liked to keep his anonymity, and as far as Finn knew no one outside of the First Order even knew he existed. Then Finn remembered he was no longer bound by First Order rules, and he relaxed. It was just an instinct. "He's above Alpha Hux."

Now Poe blinked and looked up, suddenly interested. "There's someone above Hux?"

"Yeah. We aren't supposed to mention him. I don't know why."

"What's he like?"

Finn shivered, remembering Ren on their last visit. "Unnerving," was Finn's response, as that was the only word that came to mind. Alpha Ren, to all outside appearances, looked like anyone else. It was his eyes that stopped you. They were black, pitch black, and seemed to stare right through you into your soul. Finn had been caught under his gaze once and had felt his blood turn to ice. And then there was the matter of Ren's wolf form, which Finn had only seen once. He was thin, very thin, _unnaturally_ thin, with dirty, wiry black fur and that same piercing gaze. Finn did not like the alpha and was glad he only ever came around a few times every year.

Poe _hmm_ ed and looked back ahead. "That's...interesting. We've been trying to pinpoint who was holding Hux's leash for years." Poe grabbed Finn's good shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "The director is going to want to talk to you. You'll be our first real glance inside the First Order's going's on."

Finn straightened. He might not be a nurse, but perhaps he could help people in other ways. If the First Order was behind the vampire disappearances, who knew what other illegal proceedings they had undertaken. Who knew who else they had harmed. 

"I'd be glad to talk to your director. Director..."

"Organa," Poe supplied the name. "You'll like her. She's no nonsense, but she is also willing to do whatever it takes to find the truth."

"Is she a vampire, like you?"

"Yes. You don't serve under her and not convert. Her entire coven is, to some degree, working for the government."

"So you're like a wolf pack, then," Finn connected. 

Poe made a wishy-washy gesture with his hand. "Kind of? But unless you work directly under her, her word isn't _law_ , per se. Not like it is with an alpha. We more or less operate on our own."

Finn nodded in understanding, and they lapsed into silence after this. Finn found he was just too _tired_ to keep up a conversation. Darkness had now fallen completely, and in the distance they could see the light pollution from Yuma against the pitch black sky. They were only an hour or so out, thank God. Finn's shoulder ached and he thought his legs might fall off. Poe didn't look to be in much better shape. He would still take a capsule or two every half hour or so, but there was only so much blood could do. And it for sure couldn't replace sleep. 

The hour passed slowly, and as they neared Yuma's city limits Finn became acutely aware of how much attention a werewolf and a vampire duo would attract. Their species weren't exactly the best of pals. A vampire with a _gun_ only added to the spectacle. 

"We can't stay in a hotel," Finn said. Poe, seemingly reading Finn's mind, was already shrugging out of his shoulder holster and throwing it into his bag. 

"I was just thinking that. We'll stand out, and the cash I have we should save for a bus out of here. We can't afford a credit card slip. Looks like we'll be sleeping outside tonight."

That was no problem. The night was chilly, but now that they had dried off it wasn't dangerously cold. "A park, then. Or someplace downtown," Finn suggested. The desert gave way to paved roads and humble abodes, and the walking became easier now that they weren't battling scrub brush. 

Poe nodded wearily. "There's a park coming up here soon. We need to not draw attention to ourselves. I think that's going to be our best bet."

Finn would agree with that. They slogged onward, and in due time they came to a sprawling lawn dotted with trees. It seemed out of place among the desert brown they'd been hiking through for hours. A picnic shelter sat about fifty meters from the road leading up to the park, and benches dotted the gravel walking paths. The two of them trudged to a bench and collapsed onto it. 

"One of us should keep watch," Finn said, and yawned.

"I can take first shift," Poe said. Finn wanted to protest, but he knew he'd lose. He seemed to be out of the woods in terms of health, but he'd lost a lot of fluid. He needed rest. Common sense told him this. So he listened to Poe and curled up on the bench. He was asleep in minutes. 

* * *

Yuma, Arizon was not quite a bustling metropolis, but the historic downtown district was busy enough. In the early morning people scuttled about, rushing to reach their destination before the sun became too intense. Many of them were human, most of them were werewolves--some in phase, some of them not. Almost none of them were vampires. The American Southwest was not a hospitable place for those with an aversion to sunlight.

A particular omega, bearing tawny fur and brown-tipped ears, trotted along the sidewalk, agilely darting between the pedestrians. She did not wear the classic shift suit that all but disappeared when in phase; those were expensive. Far out of her budget. Instead she wore an old, oversized brown t-shirt, kept in place by a ratted leather belt. It was an extra layer that made the desert heat almost unbearable, but it was a requirement, for modesty's sake. She couldn't stay in phase forever. It got annoying after a while, not having use of your hands. 

Her name was Rey. She didn't know where the name had come from, or who had given it to her. She'd simply turned up one day, barely five years old, on the doorstep of the Yuma Fire Department. A note had been safety pinned to her shirt, stating her name and nothing more. Her mind was a blank until that point. She remembered a shadowy figure dropping her off there, whispering promises to return. Empty promises. 

Following her discovery at the fire station, Rey was immediately thrown into the foster system. It hadn't been awful, not at first. She was cared for, she was fed. But she always wondered at who had dropped her off, and just _why_ they had left her. When they would be coming back. Her foster family was a singular family pack, already having three older pups. She was the only omega of the bunch, but she didn't act like one. She was adventurous, outgoing, far from meek and hesitant as most omegas were expected to be. This got her into quite a bit of trouble. 

On one particular day, she was playing with her foster brothers in the backyard, wrestling them in phase. Though she was younger, she was stronger, and easily pinned the youngest to the ground. He was not happy, and yelped loudly like he'd been hurt. But Rey hadn't hurt him, had she? She stepped back, tilting her head. Her brother continued to roll around and whine, playing like he _had_ been gravely injured. Was this a game? She made to nose him up, tell him to cut it out, when a voice came from the house. 

"Rey! Stop," her foster father boomed, and it bore all the weight of an Alpha Command. Rey could not resist and she froze immediately. Panic hit her like a train and she struggled hard to move, but her legs wouldn't listen. Now it was her turn to whine. She'd never been put under Alpha Command before. She didn't _like it_. 

Her foster father brushed past her to her brother, who had shifted out of phase and sat on the ground with tears in his eyes. 

"Rey h-hurt me," he sobbed, and Rey's foster father scooped him up in a hug. 

"Run inside," he told the boy, and her brother listened. As he passed Rey, he shot her a vicious smile that only she could see. Rey growled. He had set her up! He just didn't like that she'd beaten him. 

"Rey, shift out of phase," her foster father ordered again. Rey, once again, was powerless before the Alpha Command. She didn't understand why he ordered her around when he could just _ask_. She obediently shifted out of phase and looked up at him. He was glaring at her. 

"You play too rough. Don't you know you could seriously injure someone?"

"I'm sorry," she said, but she wasn't. Not really. She hadn't _done_ anything! But she didn't want to be put under Alpha Command again, and would say anything to avoid that. Her foster father grabbed her arm and hauled her roughly to her feet. Now _he_ was hurting _her_ , but he didn't seem to care. 

"Go to your room. You are grounded for the night."

It wasn't fair! Rey crossed her arms and stalked inside. She went to the room she shared with her youngest brother and sat on her bed, pouting. She was cared for, she was fed, but she wasn't _loved_. She would always be second to her foster brothers, she knew. She wasn't sure just how right she was, though, until that night, when she crept out of her room to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. She overheard her foster parents talking. Her father was angry.

"--could have hurt him! She doesn't fit in here."

"We can't just send her away," Rey's foster mother argued. "The social worker--"

"--would agree that this placement isn't right for her."

"I don't want her being moved from house to house. That's no way for a child to live."

"There's always the First Order," Rey's foster father said, and Rey had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from gasping. She may have only been eight years old, but she knew of the First Order. She knew that's where werewolves without parents often went. They were strict, and she would be put under Alpha Command much more if she was to be sent away. She didn't want that. She didn't want to be put under Alpha Command ever again! Surely her foster mother wouldn't agree to this. 

But the mother sighed, and said, "Maybe the discipline would do her some good."

And Rey knew right then that she couldn't stay anymore. She had few belongings to her name; it wasn't a big deal to remove her papers from her backpack and cram her possessions inside in their place. She was anxious as she slept, inexplicably worried that she would somehow be found out. But the next morning, as she prepared for school, no one said anything. No one even looked her way. And when she walked to school, she turned left instead of right and just...kept going. The further away from the school she walked, the faster she ran. She went into phase midstride and took off down the roads. She would _not_ be sent away to the First Order. She'd find her own pack, find the ones who had left her behind. And then she'd be happy. 

Rey ran well into the heat of the day. No one paid any mind to the in-phase pup racing through the streets. She was only an omega; her pack couldn't be _too_ far away.

But running away wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She may have been free of Alpha Command, but Rey had no money to her name, and all too soon hunger and thirst began to nag at her throat. She wandered through the streets, sniffing at trash cans to see if there was anything edible inside. A small part of her considered returning home, pleading forgiveness, but she knew then she would for sure be sent away to the First Order. The hunger and the thirst were worth it. 

She spent most of the day in phase, on the hunt, but had nothing to show for it by the time dusk rolled around. She crept through the alleys, desperate for anything to eat. Her nose led her to a dumpster behind a diner that she'd never been to before. There was food here, and it smelled warm! Her stomach growled angrily. She approached the dumpster, looking both ways to see if anyone was watching. Then she jumped up and scrabbled inside the dumpster.

There were takeout boxes here--someone's abandoned order. Burgers and fries. _Jackpot._ Rey took one of the styrofoam boxes in her mouth and clambered out of the dumpster. She thought she was home free when a voice stopped her. 

"The food's better inside."

Rey turned to see an older human woman with dark, wrinkled skin, standing by the back door of the diner. She had her arms crossed and was watching Rey, but there was no harshness to her expression. Harshness or no, though, Rey had been caught. She wasn't about to give up her meal so easily. She took a hesitant step back, preparing to bolt. 

"There's no need to run. Come out of phase and come inside. I'll get you some proper food," the older woman said. Her voice was so kind, Rey wanted to believe her. But she also didn't want to be sent back to her foster home. And that's what an adult would do, wouldn't they? She took another step back. 

The older woman shrugged. "Suit yourself, love. If you need a place to cool off, though, my door is open." And she returned inside. 

Rey was now torn. The woman hadn't given any clue that she'd call the police. Maybe she could be trusted. Maybe there was a meal waiting for her inside. Rey dropped the takeout box and shifted back to her human form. Then, she ran inside after the woman. 

The woman was waiting just inside the door, seemingly knowing that Rey would take her up on her offer, and she smiled down at the homeless girl before her. 

"Come on," she said, and led Rey into the dining room. It was just after closing time, it looked like. The woman sat Rey down at a booth covered in red vinyl and handed her a menu. The words on the front read "Maz's Diner." The woman must be Maz.

"Order anything you want. I bet you're starving."

Rey nodded. She already knew what she wanted. "Could I have some chicken strips?"

Maz brought her her food and slid into the seat across from Rey. She watched as Rey devoured the basket of chicken strips. "Now, I think you should tell me why a girl like yourself is out scrounging for scraps."

Rey paused mid-bite and looked up. Could she trust Maz? The other had fed her, yes, but that still didn't mean she couldn't call the First Order and have Rey taken away. But she had to trust someone. She couldn't survive on her own. Not yet. 

"I ran away," Rey said simply. 

Maz nodded. "Well, I gathered that. Don't see too many pups running around unsupervised. Why'd you run?"

Rey looked down at her hands. She may as well tell the kind woman her story. "My foster parents wanted to send me away to the First Order. I didn't want to go. I want to stay and wait for my family."

"I don't blame you. There's nothing good going on in that pack, I tell you what."

Rey shifted in her seat. "So you won't tell them where I am?"

"Child, of course not! I could tell you to go home, but if they're thinking of sending you away I don't think home is the best place for you. If you need a safe place, my door is open."

"But won't you get in trouble if they find that you helped me?"

Now Maz smiled a knowing smile. "I've done a lot worse in the name of the greater good. And I think keeping any kid from those First Order types is reason enough to risk anything."

Rey smiled back. It was small, and unsure, but she seemed pretty certain she had made a friend. 

That had been over a decade ago. Rey had not taken Maz up on her offer, knowing just how big a risk the older woman would have been taking. But she didn't return home, either. The streets became her home. She didn't miss much about her old life--not her brothers, not school. The kids there only teased her; they took her foster brothers' side most of the time. She showed up every so often to let Maz know she was okay, but otherwise she was completely on her own. 

And to make it on your own, one had to learn skills. Rey had become quite adept at a certain set of skills. Currently, she was on the hunt. But it wasn't dumpsters and trash bins that she was looking through. She had bigger targets in mind. 

The tawny werewolf came to a stop outside one of Yuma's many open patio cafes. A sign in the window demanded werewolves shift out of phase before entering. Rey followed the instructions, tossing her light brown hair over her shoulder as she did so. One might think she stood out in the t-shirt that fell below her knees, but in reality it helped her blend in to the dust and the harsh sunlight. She was invisible to most. 

Rey waited outside the cafe, taking a seat in a chair just beside the front door. From here she had a good look inside at the cash register at the front of house. She watched countless people go to the register, remove their wallets, and pay for their meal before leaving. Most of them paid with card. Cards were useless to Rey; too often they brought the cops down on you. And Rey didn't need a run in with the Yuma Police Department, especially considering they were almost all First Order. An omega on her own had to be careful. 

At last, a werewolf mom came to the register, towing two young pups behind her. She produced her wallet and paid from a wad of twenties. _Perfect_. Rey watched as the woman slipped the wallet back into her purse and stood. Then, as the mother was exiting the cafe, Rey attempted to enter, bumping the mother with her shoulder. The two children made noises of protest as they ran into their mother from behind. 

"I'm so sorry," Rey said, immediately taking a step back. 

The other werewolf took one look at the unkempt omega and made something of an irritated noise. "No harm done," she said in a tone that implied yes, harm had been done. But then she turned one way, her kids following close behind her, and Rey went another. In her hand she held the rather large wallet that the mother had previously been carrying. It was hard to be discreet, but if there was anyone who could hide a giant pink wallet it was Rey. She waited until she was a good distance away from the mother to start jogging. Her theft would be discovered soon enough. 

She returned to the dumpster behind Maz's diner to count her spoils. One hundred and sixty dollars in cash, all in twenties. Rey did feel a bit guilty, doing what she had to do to get by. There was no justifying it. She only knew she didn't want to be found out by the First Order, and this was the way to do that. Maz couldn't afford to keep her on even part time, and there was no way for Rey to find employment elsewhere if she wanted to stay off the First Order's radar. An omega without a pack was a dangerous thing to be. 

Rey tucked the cash into the pocket she'd sewn into her shirt and left the wallet on the ground. Hopefully some kind soul would find it and be able to return it to the woman it belonged to. 

Rey moved to leave the alley, but at the last minute heard the squawking of a police radio. Her blood turned to ice and she did what anyone who had just stolen a wallet would do: she hid. There was just enough space between the dumpster and the wall of the diner for her to squeeze behind. If these were werewolves, she didn't want them picking up on her scent. Were they looking for the thief who had taken the wallet?

"Lady says it was a werewolf who ran into her. Probably the pickpocket," a voice said.

"Did she get a good look?" a second voice asked.

"Yeah. Girl, late teens, maybe early twenties. Not our guy."

"Damn. I hate that we have to drop everything to help the First Order find their car thieves. Mutts don't run everything down here."

"The chief would beg to differ."

"Only because he's one of them. Doesn't it bother you that we're essentially in their pocket? We aren't security guards, we're the law."

"I don't care one way or another as long as I get paid. We have a werewolf and a vampire to find, and we _are_ going to find them, so let's get going.Shouldn't be too hard to find a vampire down here anyway." Their voices faded as they walked away from the dumpster. Rey waited a good few minutes before peeking out from behind the dumpster 

They weren't looking for her. But what was a vampire doing in the southwest? And what was a vampire doing with a _werewolf_? Vampires and werewolves weren't exactly hostile, but they certainly weren't _friendly_ by any stretch of the imagination. Old animosities died hard. 

_Whatever_ , Rey thought. If it kept the cops, and therefore the First Order, off her tail, she could live with that. Better them than her. 


	5. Chapter 5

Morning dawned. Finn had woken up halfway through the night to keep watch while Poe slept, and though he'd gotten maybe three hours of sleep, his anxiety kept him alert. He had to admit, watching the sun rise from the distant horizon had been breathtaking. He'd never seen a morning so beautiful. Perhaps it was this new-found freedom from shackles he hadn't realized he'd worn all his life. Today there would be no training, no listening to Nines and Zero knock him down, no worrying about the military recruiter coming in two days. And no one could tell him what to do. Freedom from Alpha Phasma's Command was perhaps most welcome. 

Finn allowed himself a few moments to watch as the sun climbed above the horizon, but only a few. They needed to get moving. Now that daylight was upon them, the First Order search would really begin in earnest. They needed to make it to the bus station and get the hell out of dodge. 

"Poe," Finn said gently, nudging the FBI agent with his elbow. Poe stirred and blinked his eyes open. 

"Wow, this bench is uncomfortable," the vampire said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"And I suppose coffins are just the height of luxury?" Finn joked. 

Poe rolled his eyes. "Yes. Only the _best_ for the undead, after all."

Finn laughed. The bench was comfortable to him only because he was used to sleeping either in phase on the floor or in a cement bunk. He figured anything would be comfortable compared to those two options. 

"We should get going before the First Order starts sweeping the town," Finn said.

Poe nodded. "That would probably be a good idea. The bus station is downtown. We still have quite a walk."

Finn looked up at the sun. Already it was warming the air to an uncomfortable temperature. "Do you have enough capsules to make it there?"

Poe rummaged in his bag and produced the orange bottle. There looked to be about ten capsules left. "Just enough. I don't think I can hide your scent anymore, though."

"That shouldn't be an issue now that we're around other werewolves," Finn noted, and stood. Poe followed suit, stuffing the bottle back into the bag. They took off again, walking at a brisk pace to get out of the sun. 

Already this early in the morning people were on the streets, going about their business. Humans on bikes hunched over their handlebars in the bike lanes, and werewolves both in phase and out filled the sidewalks. Poe kept his scent under control, so well that there were times when the wind shifted that Finn had to turn to make sure the vampire was still beside him. 

"It's almost creepy how invisible you are," he said. 

Poe grinned. "Now you know why I was so stunned that you could detect me."

"I sure see why they picked you for this mission," Finn affirmed. 

It took them a couple hours to reach the bus station, and the air had heated up considerably as they walked. Poe was down to only a few capsules left. 

"Aren't you going to need a refill soon?" Finn said, eyeing Poe as he downed two more. 

Poe exhaled through his nose. "Yes, but buying blood capsules is a sure-fire way to bring the First Order down on us. Aren't many vampires down here, I've noticed. I'll manage."

Finn was not convinced, but figured Poe knew his needs better than Finn.

The bus station was rather small, tucked behind a Target off one of the main streets. But it was blessedly air conditioned, and when they stepped inside Finn sucked in a deep breath. Cold air rushed into his lungs, cooling him from the inside out. Poe looked unbelievably grateful to be out of the sun and heat.

A glance at the board showed a bus leaving for Idaho Falls soon. "That's our ticket out of here," Poe said, but stopped abruptly before approaching the counter. Finn bumped into him from behind. 

"What is it?"

Poe motioned with his head to the two cops standing by the counter. Werewolves, by the smell of them. First Order, undoubtedly. 

Finn frowned. "They haven't seen us yet."

"No, but I'm sure they've seen my face. The first thing the First Order would do is make it so I can't very well hide from the authorities."

"Then give me the cash. I'll buy the tickets. I doubt they've given me the same treatment. Probably think you used your vampire powers to kidnap me."

"Haha," Poe said, giving Finn an amused look. He handed him the money. "Get us the first bus that will take us out of the First Order's territory," he said. 

Finn took the bills and headed for the counter. 

It was horribly anxiety-inducing for Finn, standing beneath the stares of the First Order cops and knowing he could be recognized at any moment. Despite his comments to Poe, Finn knew that Alpha Hux would have figured out by now that Finn was the one who had helped Poe escape. He could be just as recognizable as Poe. But Finn got to the counter, and purchased two one-way tickets to Idaho Falls without issue. He darted out of line and returned to Poe, who was sitting in a chair with his back to the cops. Finn handed him his ticket. 

"Our bus leaves in three hours. We have some time to kill."

"Well, we aren't going to kill it here," Poe said, standing. He cast an uneasy glance at the cops. They still hadn't noticed the duo, but Finn understood not wanting to push their luck. 

Out the window of the bus station, Finn caught sight of a Starbucks sitting inside the Target. He pointed it out to Poe. 

"We can chill there for those three hours. I doubt the First Order will station cops in a Target," Finn said. 

Poe agreed. "To Starbucks it is, then."

\--------

Lunchtime rolled around, and Rey was eager to spend the money she had so recently procured. Normally she ate at whatever was nearby, but after such a successful hunt she had decided to treat herself. She'd eaten at every cheap restaurant downtown and was hungry for something she never could afford: Starbucks. Nothing said "I have money to spend" like buying a ten dollar coffee and a seven dollar sandwich. The nearest Starbucks was in a Target just under two miles away, and she easily made the jog through town in phase. 

Currently, she sat in the air conditioned dining room, sipping something frozen and sweet. It was a great way to beat the July heat. 

What she would do with the rest of her day was a mystery. A part of her knew she should save the money she had--not all days were as profitable as this one. But a selfish part of her told her to do something she never did. She could go see a movie, maybe buy an _actual_ shift suit--do something _special_. She could worry about where her next meal would come from later. 

As she was pondering the possibilities, she noticed two men walk into the all-but-empty restaurant. One wore a loose ivory dress shirt--a little dusty, perhaps, but who was able to stay dust-free this time of year?--and carried a shoulder bag. The other was obviously a werewolf. He wore a black shift suit beneath a brown leather jacket. 

Rey sipped at her drink and watched them. They seemed to be fairly well-off. Neither of them wore cheap attire. That shift suit could easily run three hundred dollars. There was money there, she had no doubt. The man in the dress shirt paid with cash and tucked his wallet back in the bag. And suddenly her drink didn't taste quite so fulfilling as it did before. 

Greedy was not something Rey allowed herself to be. She was not well-off, but there were certainly people in worse positions than her. All too often she'd end up sharing a meal with the other panhandlers around Yuma, and she was generally the one buying seeing as she was such a good pickpocket. But these two men _were_ well-off, and who knew what was in that bag? And she really did want an actual shift suit...

Rey sucked down the rest of her drink and stood to throw it in the trash can. The two men had ordered and were sitting three tables away from her by the entrance, talking quietly to each other. The man in the dress shirt had slung his bag over the back of his chair. It would be easy enough; walk by nonchalantly, slip the bag from the chair, go to the exit. She was sure she could grab that bag without being seen. 

It was risky, hunting two times in a day. She didn't want people recognizing her as a thief. But she also really, really wanted whatever was in that bag. And she would have it. 

Rey walked past the men's table. They didn't look up, didn't acknowledge her. It was no matter to grab the strap of the bag and bring it to her shoulder. A bold move, to be sure. Her heart thudded in her chest. If she got away with this, her ego would hit the roof. There'd be nothing she couldn't lift. 

She kept an even pace as she headed for the exit. This was cool, she belonged, the bag was hers. Rey had gotten away with it.

Until she hadn't. 

"Hey!" she heard someone exclaim, and glanced over her shoulder to see the man in the dress shirt coming her way. 

_Shit. Run_. Rey burst through the doors of the Target into the heat. She immediately went into phase, grabbing the bag in her mouth as she did so, and took off through the parking lot. A human couldn't keep up with her. The other werewolf, though...he might be an issue. Another look over her shoulder and she could see him leap into phase. His form was large, covered in thick black fur, and he _definitely_ looked like he could be faster than her, if he wasn't so obviously limping. And then she noticed the man in the dress shirt keeping up with her, and it clicked: _vampire._ This was the duo the police had been looking for this morning.

Well, this had taken a turn. For a brief moment Rey considered dropping the bag and abandoning the mission, but pride tightened her grip. This was _hers_ now. She put on an extra burst of speed and flew past the Greyhound station behind the Target. In her hurry, she nearly ran into two cops exiting the building, both werewolves themselves. 

_Oh no_. Rey darted around them, wondering if they'd leave her alone. The werewolf and the vampire chasing her had ground to a halt and were trying to appear normal, but the cops were already suspicious. They weren't going to come for Rey...or so she thought. One turned on the duo, the other turned on her. He went into phase and took off after her. 

_No no no no._ Rey had to get out of there. She wasn't that familiar with this part of Yuma; she could never lose the cop. She had to get back to downtown. 

_Citizen, stop_ , the werewolf behind her commanded over the wolf link. At first fear flooded her--was he an alpha? But his words slid off of her harmlessly, and she realized he must have been a beta. 

Rey didn't bother responding. She focused instead on charging ahead, and dove into the road. If she got through traffic it would be difficult for the cop to follow her. Cars honked, but she was able to dodge being hit. She landed on the other side of the road, unharmed, and continued her desperate run towards downtown. 

She had completely lost sight of the vampire/werewolf duo and the second cop. The first took a running leap and cleared one lane of traffic. More cars honked, but he was hot on her tail still. Rey had to wonder what was in this bag that made it so important. And weren't the cops looking for car thieves? What did the bag have to do with _that_? 

She continued to zig zag in and out of traffic, desperately hoping to shake her pursuer. Rey was staying ahead of him, but she was also starting to tire in the Arizona heat. Downtown was less than a mile away from her now. If she could just make it back to familiar streets...

The cop was gaining, but downtown arrived first. The moment familiar buildings began to spring up, Rey took a hard right into an alley. She leaped over the fence at the end of the alley and then cut a left back into the street. She just needed to get back to Maz's place and she could hide. She was _almost there_. 

She turned down another alley and slid to a stop. There, by some miracle, were the werewolf and the vampire. They seemed to have lost their cop. 

"Give me the bag," the vampire said, holding out his hand. 

Rey growled. 

_We don't want to hurt you_ , the dark werewolf continued. 

The sound of sirens had picked up, wailing through the city. The vampire looked up, and something like fear flashed in his eyes. 

"Give. Me. The. Bag," he ground out. 

_If I do, will the cops stop chasing me?_ Rey asked. 

_Probably not. You've been seen with us. You're marked,_ the other werewolf responded. 

Rey's heart sank. It was stupid, so stupid to try to take this bag. 

_Thanks for that._

_Hey, you're the on who took the bag._

The sirens were getting closer, but Rey was still hesitant to give it up. Now her curiosity was getting the better of her. What was in the bag? What did the First Order want with simple car thieves? Why were a vampire and a werewolf working together? Too many questions that would be foolish to seek answers to. But Rey had already done one foolish thing today, what was another?

_Follow me_ , she said, and dove past the duo. She heard the vampire groan out loud, and the two of them were on her tail again. She took a half a dozen more twists and turns through the alleys, until a familiar smell reached her. _Maz's place_. 

She skidded to a halt behind the restaurant and shifted out of phase. The vampire and the werewolf were right behind her. She slung the bag over her shoulder and pointed to the dumpster.

"Get in," she said. The werewolf shifted back into his human form and the vampire wrinkled his nose in disgust. Rey rolled her eyes. 

"It'll hide your scent. You don't want to be found anymore than I do. Get in."

"Give me the bag," the vampire tried again. 

Rey ignored him and climbed inside the dumpster. "Suit yourself."

She heard the duo talking in hushed tones, and also heard the sirens wail ever closer. Just moments later the vampire and the werewolf joined her in the dumpster. Outside the metal walls of their hiding place, they heard the sounds of paws on concrete. 

_Did you see which way they went?_ a voice asked over wolf link. 

_It was just past here_ , a second wolf answered, and the sound of paws disappeared. The three waited in tense silence for the cops to return, but after five minutes of sitting in filth, it seemed they were gone for good. 

Rey crawled out of the dumpster first. The other werewolf followed her, and the vampire was last. 

"Can I have the bag _now_?" he asked, irritated. 

Rey held it tighter. "Maybe. What's in it?"

"Nothing that concerns you," the werewolf said. 

Rey narrowed her eyes. She was _marked_ now, dammit. She wanted a reason _why_. 

"They're after me just like they're after you. I deserve an answer."

The vampire pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look..."

"Rey!" Maz said, her voice coming from behind them. Rey turned to see her old friend standing in the back doorway. The older woman crossed her arms. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into today?"

"She stole something that belongs to use," the other werewolf said. 

Maz gave Rey a look and _tsk_ ed. "Since when do you get caught?"

Rey managed to look sheepish. "Since I target the same people as the First Order, apparently."

Maz rolled her eyes. "Well, it was bound to happen. Come," she said, motioning the three inside. "The least I can do to make up for your sloppiness is offer our guests a meal."

The werewolf and the vampire exchanged a look. "We actually really need to be going," the vampire began. "If you just give us the bag..."

"You'll go where? You need to wait for this to die down. If the First Order is after you, they won't make it easy to leave the city," Maz said. "And you, vampire, are needing to get out of the heat, I'm sure." She had a point, and the duo realized it. 

"Fine," the vampire said, and motioned his counterpart forward. "Finn?"

The werewolf, Finn, sighed and followed Rey into the restaurant. 

"Could you _please_ give us the bag back?" he asked. Rey looked over her shoulder. "Not until you tell me what's in it."

"Well, Poe's gun, for one," Finn said. Poe must be the vampire. Rey was all of a sudden acutely aware of the bag on her shoulder, and gingerly set it down on the seat of a booth in the diner proper, as if the gun could spontaneously discharge. She slid in beside it, but kept her distance. Poe and Finn sat down across from her. 

Maz was suddenly beside them, carrying three burgers in her arms. She slid one to each Rey and Finn, and set the last one--made with an obviously raw beef patty--before Poe. She winked. "Don't see many of your kind down her. I'd imagine the sun isn't treating you well."

Poe, still obviously bewildered by the turn of events, managed a smile. "Thank you..."

"Maz," she said, and patted him on the shoulder before going back to the kitchen. 

Poe turned to Rey. "The bag."

"I told Finn, tell me what's in it and you can have it back."

"It doesn't concern you--"

"Yeah, it does. I could always just look..." she reached to unzip it, and Poe sighed heavily.

"Okay, okay. Among other things, it has a flash drive. There is some very important information on that flash drive. More than anything, we need that flash drive."

Rey picked up her burger and took a bite. "What kind of information?"

"Why do you care so much?" Finn asked, reaching for his own burger. 

"Because I have successfully avoided the First Order for over ten years, and all it took was running into you two to put me on their radar. So I'd guess, whatever is on this flash drive, the First Order doesn't want it to get out."

"And you'd be right," Poe said. "I'm with the FBI. My director needs to see that drive as soon as possible."

Rey raised her eyebrows. The First Order really wasn't messing around, if they'd managed to get the local police on board with capturing a federal agent. And if the FBI was involved, that spoke to just how valuable the drive was. She really, really didn't want to be in the middle of this. 

"Fine," she said, holding up her hands. "It's yours. I'm sorry I ever got involved."

Poe reached across the table and plucked the bag from the seat. "What could have possessed you to try to steal something so out in the open, anyway?"

Rey shrugged. "I overestimated my abilities. But an omega has to make a living somehow."

"Omega?" Finn frowned. "Where's your pack, then?"

"Don't have one," Rey said, taking another bite of her food. 

"That seems...unusual," said Poe.

"It is," Finn responded, now giving Rey an odd look. "The First Order should have picked you up years ago."

"Now you see why I really didn't want to get mixed up with the police," she said. "I want nothing to do with that pack."

Finn was leaning forward, staring at her intensely. "How have you avoided them for so long?"

"By being smart. Today, clearly, I lapsed."

"Clearly," Poe said into his food, and finally took a bite of his own burger. 

Finn rubbed his chin. "Then you should come with us."

Rey froze, and Poe choked. 

"No," Rey said, at the same time as Poe said, "That's not a good idea."

"I'm waiting for my real pack to come back and find me. I can't leave Yuma," Rey explained. 

"Well, if you want to avoid the First Order, that's not wise," Finn pointed out. 

"This'll blow over," Rey said, assured. 

Finn shook his head. "Doubtful. They _really_ don't want what's on that flash drive to get out, and if they even suspect you're with us, well..."

"Finn," Poe said, leveling a look at his partner. "I have a mission to complete. Having you along is one thing, but it would be irresponsible to drag Rey into this."

"It would be irresponsible to leave an omega, of all people, at the mercy of the First Order. She doesn't deserve that."

"She can hear every word you're saying, and she can look out for herself just fine," Rey bit out. 

Finn looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

Poe looked up at the ceiling. After a moment, he sighed. "Actually, yeah. I think Finn has a point. It's not safe for you here any more."

Now Rey was annoyed. "I've survived on the streets for over a decade. I know how to avoid a few werewolf cops."

"It's not just them; it's all the First Order. Every wolf affiliated with them in this city will be on the lookout for you," Finn argued. "If you don't come with us, at least get out of the city. Preferably out of First Order territory altogether. I hear Oregon is nice this time of year."

Rey chewed her lip. She had to admit, she _was_ nervous, but she'd been nervous before. She was sure that after the week, she'd have nothing to worry about. "No. I'm staying."

Finn looked profoundly unhappy. "Fine. Suit yourself."

"We should really be going," Poe said, looking at the clock on the wall. "We may not be able to catch our bus, but it's only a matter of time before the cops sweep back this way again." He slid out of the booth, followed by Finn.

Finn looked down at Rey. "Stay safe," he said.

Rey smiled tightly up at him. He was a stranger; he had no right to worry about her like that. "I will."

And then Finn and Poe whisked out of the diner, leaving Rey alone at the booth. 


End file.
